A Haunting
by Styxswimmer
Summary: Kate dreams of Ari, and not only Tony, as if it wasn't bad enough, but Gibbs finds out. KIBBS, KATE, MCABBY. Chapter Three is Up!
1. Dreams

**Author:** Styxswimmer

**Paring:** Tate, McGee/Abby

**Rating:** M for later chapters

**Summery:** Kate dreams of Ari and Tony finds out.

**A/N:** This is my first NCIS fic, and being as I'm only into the second season this will be when it takes place.

_Chapter One: Dreams_

Kate sat at her desk, hand popping up her head in an attempt to stay awake. Gibbs had her searching for the newest victim in a grotesque murder where she was also raped. Tony, was over at his desk reading over the current suspects file, he glanced over at her and saw she was almost asleep.

"Kate!" He said quite loudly, making Kate jump. "Why don't you get a cup of coffee, that'll be running for a while, it's not as if Gibbs will know." Tony explained as he looked at Kate; who currently looked like hell.

"Know what?" Gibbs said as he walked passed their desks.

"Kate just--"

"Nothing Gibbs." Kate cut across Tony quickly.

"Good. Call me if you guys get anything. Do NOT go home and stick her with the work DiNozzo." Gibbs said as he walked to the back elevator.

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Kate had fallen asleep at her desk, her dream was anything but pleasant, she flipped slightly on her desk and she remembered.

_Kate grabbed the knife from the autopsy tray and attempted to stab Ari, but he turned around and caught her wrist. He pulled her close to whisper about her failure._

Kate felt a hand on her shoulder and she sat straight up, painfully so as she hit the back of the chair.

"Hey Kate, you okay?" Tony asked from where he sat on the corner of her desk.

"Ugh...what happened?" Kate asked running a hand over her face.

"You were whimpering in your sleep, I was worried, what were you dreaming about?" Tony asked, curiosity shining in his eyes.

"Oh, Tony, just forget about it." Kate replied turning her chair away from him.

"Kate." Tony stated as he turned her chair back around so his blue eyes locked with her brown ones. "Okay, if you won't tell me what it's about, then tell me this, is this the first time you've had the dream?"

"No." Kate said whilst she avoided his eyes.

"Is it a dream or a memory?"

"Memory." Kate unwillingly admitted.

"Is it about Ari?" Tony asked raising her head to look at him.

"Dammit! I can't get the bastard out of my head, every time I close my eyes he's there!" Kate yelled as she pounded her fist on the desk.

"Calm down, don't worry Kate, you're gonna get through this." Tony assured her as he rubbed her back soothingly.

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**A/N 2: **_Well there was the first chapter, it's probably shit but it's all I have at 11:30 at night. At this point Kate and Tony are still at the friend dynamic, but I'm planning on taking that farther, anyway...let me know what you all think and anything I can do to improve it. Happy Thanksgiving All!!_

_§Styxswimmer§_


	2. Suspicions

**A/N: Hey all, thanks to you that have reviewed and I'm actually adding a new paring in, Kibbs, I didn't write it in the original note in the first chapter but its there, it will be hinted at in this chapter and I'm trying my best to keep characters actually in-character. Well let me know what you think, and oh yeah, not mine, no way in hell. Oh and by the way, I have no clue of the screen names or their messaging service so I made it up.**

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_**Chapter Two: Suspicions**_

Tony looked over at Kate, who was staring with blood-shot eyes at the computer screen, silently willing it to reveal the victim's identity. After he had reassured her she had sat quite for a while and returned to normal Kate, brushing him off coldly and he went back to his desk to continue his work. He wasn't going to push her, oddly enough, and he was hoping that she knew he wasn't going to be his normal Neanderthal self to her. Finally, attempting to alleviate the stress between them his voice rang out:

"Kate, why don't you go home, I can what the screen, you've been here for twelve hours watching this. Go get some sleep, I'm sure Gibbs won't care as long as one of us are here." He said looking at a surprised Kate. "Well don't look at me like that, I'm not a total prick."

"Are you sure Tony? You wouldn't mind, and don't think Gibbs would?" Kate asked tired, no quip about him being prick, no normal retaliation or banter.

"Yeah, I'm sure Kate, go, you deserve it." Tony said smiling that boyish smile, that made all the ladies go crazy, at her.

"Alright." Kate said as she gathered up her bag and all of her other items, slipped her coat on and walked around her desk, she looked at Tony and said, "thanks Tony, I really mean it."

"No problem Katie, oh and if you need anything don't hesitate to call." He said smiling once again.

"Thanks, I will." She said as she walked over to the elevator, the way she carried herself, and the clear tension between her shoulders, betrayed the weariness that she would never let show outwardly.

About ten minutes after Kate had left, Gibbs came strolling in with coffee for the three of them, he sat Tony's down on his desk and looked suspiciously over at Kate's.

"DiNozzo!"

"Yes boss?"

"Where is Kate?" He asked but it was rather a statement than a question.

"Um...I sent her home boss, just a bit ago."

"You, sent her home, leaving you to do all the work?" Gibbs asked skeptically.

"Well yeah, all we're doing is waiting for the name to come through AFIS, and that could take forever, she was tired and told her to go home." Tony said, almost regretting his decision but he knew it was the right one.

"What's in it for you?"

"Nothing boss."

"Okay, so, you sent Kate home, with no apparent gain for you, leaving you to do work you despise. What happened?"

"I'm not at liberty to say boss." Tony said and winced as he saw the anger flash through Gibbs' eyes.

"'Not at liberty to say'?"

"No."

"You can't tell me anything? But it has to do with Kate. What'd you do to her DiNozzo?!"

"Me?! I didn't do anything! I can't tell what it's about but I can tell you it's about her sleeping patterns, but nothing more than that." Tony said as he rushed to defend himself against his semi-enraged leader.

"Hmm..." Gibbs said and returned to his desk, _this was unusual, Tony never covered for __anyone__. Unless it was something big, so he must have found something out that was very bad, but what could it be!_ He thought to himself, it perturbed him very much.

At ten o'clock the next morning Kate walked into the building, she reached the elevator and pressed the button to send her up to her floor. When she arrived she saw both Tony and Gibbs at their desks asleep, and she smiled to herself. She sat a cup of coffee on Gibbs' desk and then walked over to Tony's setting the coffee where he could smell it and she said softly:

"Wakey wakey Tony, I brought you coffee." She smiled as she saw his eyes flutter open and grab the coffee, consuming it hastily.

"Thank you Kate."

"No problem, the least I can do."

"So how are you?" Tony asked curiously.

"Yes how are you indeed?" Gibbs asked directing both Tony and Kate's attention to where he was sipping the coffee Kate had brought and studying them.

"Um...fine. Did--did Tony tell you the exact details of my departure Gibbs?" Kate asked slightly afraid, Tony's fingers brushed against her and she relaxed minutely, but not minutely enough to escape Gibbs' attention.

"No, DiNozzo refused to relay the details of your leaving."

"Oh. Well, sorry Gibbs, but I brought everyone coffee to make up for it." Kate said as she flashed Gibbs a radiant smile.

"Hn." Gibbs said as he returned his attention to the screen in front of him.

Kate returned to her computer and continued to watch the AFIS data base on her computer, finally, when her curiosity would not let up she IM'd Tony.

K-Girl says:

_What exactly happened after I left last nite?_

Hot-Studd says:

_After you left Gibbs came in shortly with coffee for everyone._

K-Girl says:

_Everyone?_

Hot-Studd says:

_Yeah, weird huh?_

K-Girl says:

_Yeah...so anyway what'd he say?_

Hot-Studd says:

_Well he just kept asking me where you were and why I was covering for ya._

K-Girl says:

_Well did you tell him?_

Hot-Studd says:

_No! Katie do you really think I would do that to you?_

K-Girl says:

_No. I'm sorry Tony, this has just got me so scrwed up._

Hot-Studd says:

_I know Katie, but it'll be fine, I promise, you can even come over tonight if you like._

Kate deliberated for a moment, having someone to talk to would be great, but she wasn't sure what would happen if she went over to Tony's, worst-case scenario she'd shoot him, slightly less worse was that she'd end up jumping him.

K-Girl says:

_Sorry can't, got plans..thanx tho._

Hot-Studd says:

_No prob._

Kate clicked out of the window as did Tony as she waited for something to come up on AFIS. The day pretty much passed the same, except for Abby calling them down to the lab once, which turned out that the DNA from the sperm sample didn't match anything in their records, which only ended up with an amazingly pissed off Gibbs. Late that night Kate was still awake, Tony was upstairs monitoring the AFIS check still running, she didn't know why they weren't getting a hit. But she just _had_ to get away from that computer screen, she was going to go postal if she didn't. So she was downstairs in the basement looking over all the evidence they had on the case, as far as she knew Abby and McGee were in the lab running tests and doing God knows what to each other, Tony was watching the evil computer screen, and she hadn't the foggiest where Gibbs was. The need to sleep had eventually began to overcome Catlin Todd though, she felt herself ease down on the initial report and fall asleep upon her arms.

_'Don't you wonder why you couldn't do it Catlin, why you weren't fast enough, what else could it be?' Ari asked her as he took the knife out her hand and slit her throat with it..._

"AH!" Kate screamed as she shot up, as she looked beside her she saw Gibbs staring at her with questioning eyes as if asking: _What's wrong, what happened?_ "Gibbs." She said tiredly as she got out of her chair and began to walk to the elevator.

"Kate." His voice called out and stopped her in her tracks. _Damn, damn, damn! Why couldn't he just let it go?! _Kate thought to herself. "What happened, what'd you see in your dream?" Gibbs asked as he watched the young woman he had fallen in love with stand rigidly, completely tense, in a way that if not corrected, would hurt her severely.

"Nothing Gibbs, it was just a dream." She whispered shakily, she couldn't keep her voice to a steady level and Gibbs knew she was lying. Whatever she had seen had scared the shit out of her, and he wanted to know exactly what it was.

"Bullshit. Your lying Kate, I know you are." Gibbs said and didn't expect what had happened next, one thing he knew she was standing by the elevator and the next he was caught with a vicious right hook. Gibbs' head swiveled back and he looked at Kate who was breathing heavily and pissed, this was definitely not good.

"You Bastard!" Kate yelled as she swung at him again but this time Gibbs caught her wrist and twisted behind her back, not enough to hurt her but enough to immobilize her in place.

"Now Kate, there's no need for that." Gibbs whispered in her ear, breath tickling her skin, and his tone silky. He felt her breath quickly and a violent shiver pass along her body. "What did you see?" Gibbs pried, voice still nothing but a whisper.

"A-Ari." Kate near sobbed out.

"What about Ari?" Gibbs asked and his grip slackened slightly, not enough to enable her to get away, but enough so she wouldn't feel so confined and restrained.

"I keep replaying what happened over and over again my mind, why couldn't I kill him Gibbs? _Why?_" Kate asked somewhat desperately.

"Shh..it's alright Katie, it's not your fault, it's that bastard's. Now what else did he do, I know that's not the only thing from your voice." Gibbs soft voice consoled her.

"He-he, turned me around and whispered to me about the reason I couldn't do it." Kate breathed shakily as she closed her eyes.

"What else?" Gibbs said, breath hardly more than a sigh now, he pulled Kate closer to him in an attempt to comfort her.

"He--he...slit my throat!" Kate croaked out, as she started to cry, Gibbs let go of her wrist and she turned into him, sobbing softly and soiling his clean shirt.

"Sshh..its alright Katie, it's alright." He soothed as she cried more heavily, he could feel how alone she had felt with this, and it must've been what DiNozzo had found out, he had been right to keep it from him, but he was here for Kate now, and that was all that mattered. She leant into his strength, thankful for someone who could understand, and for someone who supported her, even when she was weak like this.

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**A/N 2: Well there's that chapter all, let me know what you think, I tried to make this considerably longer as the other was extremely short, hopefully my ideas will keep on coming, well they do of course but they tend to be hard to organize, all coming out of sequence. Anyway, let me know any criticism you can, and yes I've set up a possible dynamic for both Kibbs and Tate and am debating which to be the front running relationship, do me a favor, if you review, let me know what you think. Which is your favorite paring, Tate or Kibbs?**

**§Styxswimmer§**


	3. Kate goes off the deep end in more

**A/N: Hey all, thanks for all the reviews, if there are any yet, I've yet to check and I write these things in advance. Anyway, yeah yeah, spoilers for seasons 1&2, I don't own it. You all know that, if your on this site, I think your smart enough to figure it out. And in this chapter I'm planning on advancing the Kibbs Tate relationships approximately at the same time. So forgive me if I screw this up and also I'm going to attempt to actually build the case, so don't shoot me if I get this wrong, Gibbs won't stop harping on me to actually show the case, so lest he walk out and my inspiration goes kaput I think I'll listen. Oh and don't be discouraged by the Kibbs part at the beginning, towards the mid/end of the chapter I will bring in Tate for all my wonderful Tate shippers, I may bring in McAbby, you'll have to wait and see, if not, then it'll be in the next chapter.**

_Chapter Three: Kate goes off the deep end, In more ways than one_

Kate had stopped crying by this point and dared a glance up into Gibbs' eyes. He was smiling down at her, she tore her eyes away from him and walked over to the elevator.

"Ah ah Kate, not so fast." Gibbs called out as he walked to the elevator and eye-scanned. He stepped into the elevator and waited for her, she stepped inside and crossed her arms over her chest. Gibbs chuckled as the door closed, on the ride up he glanced over at her, she was agitated and it fascinated him. Suddenly Kate flipped the emergency shut down switch. "Kate what the---" Gibbs asked but was cut off and caught by surprise when Kate pushed him into the cold wall of the elevator and kissed him passionately, a rough moan escaped his throat, he pushed her away and gasped for air, ice-blue met soft brown and he saw the trouble in her depths. She exhaled sharply and flipped the emergency switch once again, returning them to movement.

"G-Gibbs I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking." Kate whispered as she leaned against the railing of the elevator facing the wall. Suddenly, she hears the elevator shut down and just as she's about to ask Gibbs what was going on, she heard him speak.

"I do." Gibbs said and he turned her around, kissed her passionately, lifted her up onto the railing and pressed her up against the cold elevator wall. He felt the shutter that passed down her spine from the direct contact and contrast between the cold of the wall and the warmth of their skins.

"God Gibbs! Ah!" Kate panted as he bit the joining of her neck and shoulder. "Gibbs you don't know how long I---" But the rest of Kate's sentence was cut off by a prolonged moan as Gibbs' hand brushed her clit.

"How long?" Gibbs asked horsely against her neck as he suckled the spot right below her ear.

"Since..Air Force...One." She panted out as her hand came to the nape of his neck and pulled him in for a rough kiss. He returned in kind with adding a little pressure that made her moan even more, suddenly she pulled away to look into his true blue eyes. "We can't do this Gibbs."

"I know..but damn, you make it so hard not to want you." Gibbs said as he kissed her hard and they both felt the elevator return to running order.

"I think that's a sign." She whispered against his lips as he began to let her down.

"Yeah." He replied dryly as they both straightened just before the elevator doors opened.

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Kate hurried to her desk and sat down and right as she took her seat the AFIS rang through a match.

"Oh!"

"Kate what is it?" Tony asked, startled by her sudden exclamation.

"AFIS finally got a hit, the prints belong to a Petty Officer Texx Orlix, stationed down at Norfolk." Kate said as she pulled his sheet up on the screen.

"Kate, Tony, bring him in, I wanna have a chat with him."

"I'd say that's a good thing Gibbs." Tony said as he grabbed the keys.

"Why?" 

"Because, says here he's got an extremely abusive history, has got in 10 fights in the last three months and is on temporary suspension right now." Tony said.

"We got an address?"

"Yep, 9981 Brokspen Ave." Kate said looking down at her papers.

"Well I wanna see him in that interrogation room, I'll be back in two hours."

"Where you going boss?" McGee asked, everyone just now noticed his presence in the room, as he had been quiet up until this point.

"Out." Gibbs said as he walked to the back elevator, coffee in hand, he needed to think things through, him and Kate were becoming..._complicated._

"Come on Kate." Tony said, and at this point Kate noticed he was almost to the door.

"Shit, coming." Kate said and hurried to the elevator, Tony already inside smirking. "Shut up." She rolled her eyes.

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Tony and Kate rolled up in front of Petty Officer Orlix's place of residence, they rang the door bell with no answer when Kate called:

"Petty Officer Texx Orlix? NCIS, open up!" Kate yelled, as she heard movement inside, she unholstered her weapon and Tony did the same, she looked over at him and nodded slightly. Tony kicked open the door and headed off into the adjoining room.

"Clear!!" Tony yelled and continued to another room.

Kate walked back into the bedroom and was looking around when she was slammed into the wall, a pair of strong hands tightened around her throat. Kate tried to scream but it came out more of a garbled squeak.

Tony, from the other room, heard a slamming sound and something suspicious, but not quite understandable.

"Kate? Kate?" Tony asked and he rounded the corner to see the Petty Officer strangling Kate. "Put her down!" Tony yelled aiming his gun at Orlix.

"Tony!" Kate rasped out.

"Put her down now Orlix!" Tony yelled and when Orlix's grip increased, Tony shot him in the arm, Orlix dropped Kate and clutched his bleeding limb. Kate, threw him to the ground cuffed him, and fell to the side. Tony rushed over and helped Kate up. "You okay Katie?" He asked, tilting her head to look at her throat, seeing a great deal of bruising. "Ooh, Katie, let's get you and Petty Officer Orlix back to NCIS HQ." Tony said.

"Damn he had a grip." Kate said horsely as she put her hand to her throat, when she drew it back there was blood on her hand. "Whoa!" Kate said, staring at her hand as if entranced by her own blood.

"Whoa!" Tony said as he looked at Kate's bleeding neck. "Get in the car, I'll get the Petty Officer." Tony tossed her the keys and went to recover Orlix.

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"Ahh! Ducky!" Kate yelled down in autopsy.

"Oh I'm sorry Kate, dear." Ducky said as he applied a special cream to her neck. "How exactly did this happen Caitlin?"

"The Petty Officer tried to kill me." She said glibly.

"Oh!" Ducky exclaimed softly shocked at her calmness. "Well I'm done here."

"Thank you Ducky." Kate said as she smiled at him. "Now I've got an interrogation to attend." Kate ran out of autopsy before Ducky could get another word in to stop her.

Kate walked into interrogation and sat opposite of Orlix. She stared hard at him, a loud slam was heard as she threw the case file on the table and watched him wince with satisfaction at the suddenly loud sound.

"Well, long time no see." Kate said coldly.

"Yeah how's your neck?" Orlix asked, his green eyes staring at her in a haunting way.

**...Meanwhile up in the observation bay...**

McGee and Abby watched the standoff between Kate and the Petty Officer, soon though, McGee's cell phone rang.

"McGee."

"Probie! Where in the hell is Abby?! I'm down in the lab!" Tony yelled through the phone.

Tim handed the phone off to Abby.

"Abby! Where the hell are you?"

"Akc! Tony! The DNA's running and besides, you've gotta get up here!"

"Why? What's going on?" Tony asked curious.

"Kate's interrogating Orlix now! Oh this is sweet! I've never seen her this cold before!" Abby said and shrugged when Tony abruptly hung up. Within a few minutes, Tony was in the observation bay and Abby laughed at him. "That didn't take you long."

"No, so how's Kate doing?"

"Great, kinda scary, she's almost like Gibbs." Abby said as she watched Kate with fascination.

**...Back in Interrogation One...**

"So what possessed you to do it? Were you so inadequate with women that you decided they needed to be violated after you killed them?" Kate questioned with remarkable ice creeping into her voice.

"So what made you join with NCIS? Little girl mad at her daddy who wouldn't give her what she wanted and mad at the world so decided to try and get some pay back?" P.O. Orlix asked as he watched a slightly shutter run down Kate's body. He laughed almost maniacally before he whispered, "you wanna know why I did it right? Well a little bit more time at the house, if you partner hadn't showed up, you would've found out how and why. Are you a screamer Special Agent Todd?"

Kate, upon hearing this, went ballistic, she walked over to his side of the table and started pummeling him with a barrage of punches, soon she felt a pair of strong arms, around her waist and on her arm, hauling her out of the room. Once the door was shut she slumped against the wall.

"Dammit!" She cursed under her breathe and turned her chocolate eyes to look at the hazel-green ones that were looking at her both worriedly and like she was insane.

"Kate! What in the hell was that?!" Tony asked, he had never seen her loose control before, and what Orlix said was spoke at such a faint whisper, that all the mikes had picked up was mumbling.

"God! It's just what he said! Oh if you would've heard him, you would've hit him way before I did." Kate said and sighed loudly as her cellphone began to ring. "Special Agent Todd." She answered with more than a little hospitability and irritability in her voice.

"I wonder Caitlin, are you truly a screamer, did you like the little gift I sent you? Texx Orlix was one of my top operatives until I let him go, I knew you'd end up with him so I told him to deliver you a little message." Ari said on the other end of the line and then the line disconnected.

Kate stood shell-shocked against the wall, the phone hung limply in her hand, and she had a far off look in her eyes.

"Kate?" Tony asked, the way she looked was really scaring him. "Kate..." He asked softly and upon getting no reply he shut the cellphone and put his arm around her shoulders. "Come on, let's get you home." He whispered and Kate was in such a state of shock that she just let Tony lead her. Upon passing the observation bay door, Abby and McGee came out and when they saw Kate, they readied themselves to fire off questions but Tony cut them off. "I'm taking her home, let Gibbs know, along with all that happened, and tell him I'll be staying with her and to call my cell as soon as possible." And with that they left, going towards Kate's apartment.

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**A/N 2: Ahh, my dear, dear readers. I apologize heavily for the long wait, but Tony and Kate went on strike. Ari, oddly enough, was very enthusiastic though, gee I wonder why. Anyway, R&R and let me know what you think, next chapter, some McAbby and some more Kibbs, along with a heapful of Tate-Fluff.**

_Styxswimmer_


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